The Fantasy Grout: Week 6
There are two types of people in this world: People who won $1,000,000 on Monday playing Weekly Fantasy Football and people who don’t own the twitter handle @SamENole. To build a lineup, you must include at least a couple Fantasy Grout-level players, and our new Fantasy Millionaire, SamENole, started four, as I laid out here
Before we get down into the Grout, highlighting players who probably will be just the piece you were missing in trying to form a million dollar lineup, let’s fast-forward to the end game, after you’ve won. Everyone knows you buy something extremely selfish, and then you tell everyone you bought something for your mom. Also, the government drops a Yoink into your pocket, and you become a Five Hundred Thousand-Aire. But what else? There are some underappreciated aspects to winning a million dollars playing Fantasy, and I thought laying a few of them out would serve as motivation to craft that lineup to million dollar perfection.
Top 5 Ancillary Benefits of Winning $1,000,000
5 – Having fancy business cards printed up that just read “Millionaire”
4 – Hasn’t everyone dreamed of being played by socket puppet on a national TV ad campaign?
3 – Paying someone to walk behind you with this blaring at all times.
2 – Those commas, tho.
1 – What good does your pinky really do if not for it being your only protruding finger as you bring it to the corner of your mouth while saying “One Meeeeellllion Dollars”?
But before we get there, we’ve got the small task of winning. You’ll have to start some studs and have them do studly things. And to afford those studs, you’ll need to start a few guys down in the grimy price range. If you are looking for the best of them, look no further, as we’re about to dig into The Fantasy Grout.
Quarterbacks
It seems that DraftKings has tightened up some of their pricing, or at least made an effort, but in at least one place, the opposite effect is taking place: Grout-level quarterbacks. The count is continually increasing, jumping this week from ten to sixteen quarterbacks priced at $6,500-or-less. As predicted, the group is, on average, better looking, thanks to Tom Brady’s price dropping from $6,600 to $6,000. This is despite him putting up a clear season-high of nearly 21 points. Other newcomers include Andy Dalton and Cam Newton. If this does anything, it makes the Peyton Manning’s of the world comparatively more expensive, so pay at your own risk!
Jake Locker v JAC – $5,500 – Look at these two stat lines….
#1: 330 Yards, 2.4 Touchdowns, 24.46 DK Fantasy Points
#2: 273 Yards, 3 Touchdowns, 33 Rush Yards, 1 Rush TD, 32.22 DK Fantasy Points
The first is the average quarterback production against Jacksonville this year and the second is the production of Jaklie Lockhurst last week versus Cleveland. The Titans under Ken Whisenhunt aren’t afraid to throw, and they score doing it, as they rank 10th in 2014 in passing touchdown percentage at 70%. They also have four capable receiving options, and the most physically talented of them, Justin Hunter, has finally been given the volume of snaps his 6’4”, 200 pound, 4.4 credentials merit. This is a no-brainer. The tougher question is this: Will it ever get old linking to pictures of Shahid Kahn’s mustache? Only time will tell!
Left in the Bucket
Ben Roethlisberger at CLE – $6,500
Running Backs
At the $5,500-or-less price point, there are plenty of options at running back as well. The bigger question is whether you can justify a running back in your flex position in your million dollar lineup. Certainly it can be done, as three in the Top 10 last week employed three running backs. Still, it’s a passing league, and accordingly, given the option to start a running back in my flex this week, I pass.
Fred Jackson v NE – $5,000 – Bully Jackson hasn’t been this expensive all year, but even if he had been, these would have been his PT/$K through five weeks: 2.08, 1.42, 5.04, 2.90, and 3.94. And those are despite him, the Bills “goal-line back,” having one touchdown all year. Against a Patriots run defense which has allowed six touchdowns to running backs, four of them through the air, I expect Kyle Orton to make a pass or two at Jackson near the end zone, if you catch my drift. Jackson does, by the way, as his 26 receptions in just five games prove that he pretty much catches everything, including my drifts.
Joique Bell @ MIN – $3,700 – I applaud DraftKings for working a bit harder on the prices this week, but I think, in a possibly sleep deprived state, they may have forgotten about the Lions. The most expensive Detroit running back is Reggie Bush, at only $4,600, and Bell is nearly a $1,000 less than him. I’m currently operating under the assumption that Bell, who was cleared for contact last week, will be active this week and Bush and his gimpy ankle won’t. If this changes, I’ll be in the comments section, backtracking.
If Bell gets the lion’s share of the work this week, it will be against the Vikings. It might suffice just to say that it is a good match-up, but I prefer to highlight that fact more creatively noting this fact. When that Minnesota defensive line watches last week’s tape of the Packers in preparation for their week 12 re-match, they will identify #27 only as “Daddy”.
Left in the Bucket
Branden Oliver at OAK – $5,500
Trent Richardson at HOU – $4,300
Wide Receivers
There are always a lot of wide receivers at $5,000-or-less, as there are a lot of wide receivers in general. The up-and-down nature of those less-than-elite options warrants the lower price. The main difference this week is the number of cheap wide receivers with great match-ups. So many, that I can already envision writing my recap making some comment about the wide receivers Left in the Bucket being better than those dubbed Fantasy Grout worthy.
Rueben Randle @ PHI – $4,600 – With wide receivers, it’s hard to tell when the guard is changing from the old to the new. After it’s happened, it’s obvious, but while it’s happening, it can be hard to tell. I’m here to tell you, it’s happening in New York. The targets are tipping Randle’s way and in the red zone, Randle’s the wide receiver prototype, versus Victor Cruz’s smaller stature.
Fortunately, the Eagles are so bad defending the pass that both Giants can get theirs and maybe rookie Odell Beckham Jr. can get a taste as well. Leading the NFL in touchdowns allowed to wide receivers, Philadelphia is basically the Oprah of the NFL: “You get a TD. And you get a TD. And you get a TD. Everyone gets a TD!”
Louis Murphy Jr. v BAL – $3,800 – The expression “Wally Pipped” is weird. To get “Wally Pipped,” you sit out and the guy who takes your place never relinquishes the gig. In Pipp’s case, he sat with a headache and his replacement was Lou Gehrig, who started his consecutive games played streak the same day. That’s not that unusual. What’s weird is that it is not called being “Lou Gehrigged.” Gehrig was the one doing the action, replacing Pipp. If being “Lou Gehrigged” had stuck, would we still call ALS “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” or can your name only be famous for one thing? What if someone created a hologram Wally Pipp, and he did the “Ice Bucket Challenge”? Mind blown.
Oh, back to the point. I’m not saying NFL journeyman Louis Murphy is Lou Gehrigging Mike Evans, but I’ll just say Murphy has nine receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown in basically three halves of football and now he draws the Ravens who are the seventh worst in DK fantasy points allowed to wide receiver. That’s all I’m saying.
Roddy White v CHI – $4,800 – Some might look down on a recommendation to play Roddy White, now that he’s so much more inconsistent than he once was. His targets the last two weeks exemplify that, yo-yoing from 14 to four. Still, where some see a problem, I see potential, as that just allows him entry into the sub-$5K price level. I see a big day coming versus Chicago, and in Packer-esque fashion, I could see Julio going off right beside him.
DeSean Jackson @ ARI – $4,900 – Psst. Over here. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: there’s only so many hours in a day. I know, not the best kept secret, but it is important here. You see, DraftKings likes to get their next week pricing out as soon as possible, and sometimes that requires cutting some corners. One corner they’ve consistently cut is not adequately adjusting the price of Monday Night Football players. When Sproles went off versus Indy, he wasn’t adjusted up until two weeks later. Will DeSean be more expensive next week, regardless of what he does against the hapless Cardinals? My guess is yes. But seriously, don’t tell anyone about the hours in the day. It’s our secret.
Left in the Bucket
Justin Hunter v JAC – $4,800
Allen Hurns at TEN – $4,400
John Brown v WAS – $4,000
Marvin Jones v CAR – $3,000
Tight Ends
Tight end is gross this year. All you really need for your sub-$4,600 tight end to get value is a touchdown….
Owen Daniels @ TB – $4,300 – …and that’s exactly what I expect Daniels, who has been a much bigger part of the Raven offense since Dennis Pitta was IRed, to get. Mix in the fact that Tampa is allowing nearly five receptions per game to tight ends and that Daniels has 13 receptions over the last two weeks, and you’ve got yourself the perfect batch of “value” stew.
Left in the Bucket
Clay Harbor at TEN – $3,200
Now get some Grout guys in your lineup, and the next thing you know, your pinkie will be the most valuable finger on your hand!